100-Year-Old Amherst Home – August 1971

Here’s yet another blog post about a house. But unlike the subject of yesterday’s post, this house is not a new one; it was one hundred years old back in August 1971.

The full-page article above is another of the charming home stories written by Hermaine Speigle, and it appeared in the Lorain Journal back on August 22, 1971. It profiles Mr. and Mrs. Alfred J. Kreeger and their beautiful home located at 792 South Main Street. 

As noted in Ms. Speigle’s article, “The white frame house, now nearly 100 years old, was Alfred’s birthplace. He brought his bride, the former Emma Brill of Brownhelm, to it in 1929. Since then, everything in the home and much of the house itself has been restored, refurbished, remodeled or designed by its owners.

“They have scouted antique shops and auctions to find furniture which Alfred repaired and refinished. Every piece in their dining room, including a large walnut, carved chest used as a sideboard, was acquired “beat up,” and made useful and beautiful in Alfred’s basement workshop.

“Unique in their living room is a rocker which was a wedding gift to Alfred’s parents, and a marble top table which dates from the birth of Lincoln.”

Alfred was quite a craftsman. The article notes, “Alfred generally prefers to take these pieces down to basics, removing paint and varnish and separating the parts to re-glue them before sanding, staining and varnishing. His pieces are renewed, inside and out, before he’s finally ready for buffing down the gloss with ground pumice stone and boiled linseed oil.

“My furniture never needs wax or polish, it’s perfect as is,” he says proudly.”

The house – now one hundred and fifty years old – still looks perfect too.

Courtesy Google Maps